Good speakers for my wedding ?

[taa4j6]

hi !

i need some speakers for my wedding, and i don't know anything about PA.

i will rent some speakers. here are my options

● amplified YAMAHA 60 W
● amplified JBL 60 W
● amplified YAMAHA 100 W
● amplified 140 W
● amplified JBL 400 W
● BOSE 802 - 240 W
● MARTIN AUDIO F12
● Sub MARTIN AUDIO S15

amps :

BOSE 1800
QSC 3102


more info :

- only 35 people, in a barn (60 m2)

- I use Dynaudio BM6As for mixing, i love them, they don't hurt your hears when they're loud. that's what i'm looking for : something that's not agressive.

- we'll do a short rock gig at one point in the evening, playing 4 songs, mic and bass will be plugged on the PA.

- then we'll dance, mostly electronic music so i want some good bass

- there might be some karaoke action if we're drunk enough

any advice on what's good / what's to be avoided / tips are welcome !!

thanks

[bishopthomas]

Hire someone who will bring the gear, set it up, operate it, etc. The last thing you want to be doing on your wedding night is troubleshooting a PA. Trust me...

[fifthcircle]

Absolutely. Great advice.

I'm getting married in a couple months and while I am designing the sound for the day, I'm having a colleague run everything for me. He's a first rate FOH mixer and it is worth the few bucks to not have to worry about any of it.

--Ben

[fifthcircle]

Oh and of the stuff you have listed there, I'd stay away from anything with the name BOSE on it.

While I don't know specifics here (you've listed few models), I'd probably lean towards Martin Audio stuff. They make pretty good PA systems that I use regularly for big concerts. Not a huge JBL fan and the Yamaha can be hit or miss depending on the model.

--Ben

[loujudson]

Originally Posted by fifthcircle

Oh and of the stuff you have listed there, I'd stay away from anything with the name BOSE on it.

--Ben

HAH! In qualified hands, Bose 802s are great! I have four, and use them all the time for many kind of music and talk. You would be surprised, I'm sure, at how many compliments I get on the great sound, and how often people just love the work I do with them.

Only Bose conusmer gear is crap, the professional products are excellent gear.

I have done dozens of weddings with them, so don't slam the door on them. For dancing, though, you'd want woofers. I use some EV 15s for 90 Hz and below.

Lou

[hbphotoav]

If you're renting, JBL will be the most common powered system you'll find. A pair of new EON 15" and a subwoofer or two would be a killer system in your barn. As small as it is, the EON powered 10" (not that much less expensive than the 15s) with a sub would light it up. If you're doing live rock and (usually) synth bass-heavy electronica... a sub of some sort is a requirement. And don't forget another pair of powered speakers to use for monitor wedges...

You'll also need a decent small mixer (Mackie or Yamaha, likely) and a stereo graphic would be nice to smooth out the resonant bumps in the room. Since the current versions of powered subs (Mackie, JBL, Yamaha) all have crossovers inherent, and pole holders, just be sure you rent the poles with the subs... or speaker stands. Don't forget a bunch of mains power taps (each powered speaker and sub requires a mains supply)... I like the 9- and 15-foot (3 and 5M) black extensions you can get at Home Depot and Lowe's.

I'd stay away from the Bose 802/1800 rig simply for power consumption reasons. The speakers are relatively inefficient and the amp is a power hog (especially compared to the class H amps in the newer powered speakers-on-stick). However, they are so non-directional that you may not need monitor wedges... ;-) I just today ran seven JBL EONs (3x15", 4x10") and a small jazz-rock combo (2x E Gtr, 1x Hartke 200w 4x10 bass, keys) on a single 20A circuit... no problemo.

And... like the previous posters have said... a competent sound person to run it so you can drink and dance and wed without sonic care.

[Ozpeter]

Good speakers for a wedding are hard to find. Mostly their jokes are in the worst possible taste.

More seriously, if you have to do it all yourself, get the gear a day or two in advance if that doesn't up the cost too much, and thoroughly familiarise yourself with it, ideally in the actual location.

[taa4j6]

thanks everyone for your answers !

when i said "i don't know anything about PA", i meant i didn't know which brands / models were good, and what's the minimum power (watts) i need to have a sufficient volume. i would have no problem setting up the gear.

most of you say i need a sound guy, but i only need two speakers + a sub + a power amp + a mixboard. i don't see a very difficult task here. i'd get the gear the night before, and experiment to get the best placement. but if i'm wrong and forgot about something, i'd be happy to know where the troubles could show up !

a friend that is a sound engineer like me will be here too. i think he'll handle the eventual glitch. it's not a very "serious" wedding, we're not reaching for "perfection", we just want to have a good time.

here's how the PA would be used :

5 PM : light background music while we drink (some old songs ripped from 78 rpm vinyls)

7 PM : short gig, 4 songs (bass in a D.I + 2 X SM58 with a dual ART PRO VLA compressor)

7 PM : back to background music while we eat (some smooth jazz a la Wes Montgomery probably)

11 PM : dancing. a macbook will be accessible, with a big iTunes library. there will be playlists made (for every ages) so we don't have to spend all night choosing songs, but people will be free and able to choose what they want to hear as well.

there will also be a stereo jack cable to plug an iPod, if someone wants to hear something that's not in iTunes.

12 PM : karaoke. the macbook is connected to a huge TV, and will play cheesy karaoke videos. mic = SM58, plugged on the mixboard, with the ART PRO VLA compressor. i'm wondering if i need a noise gate, to be sure there will be no feedback ....

1 AM : back to dancing all night


thanks again !

[taa4j6]

just called the guys who rent the speakers

i can get

2 X JBL EON G2 400 watts + foots + cables. 107 euros for the whole weekend.

or

2 X Martin audio F12 400 w + 1 sub F15 600w + 1 amp + foots + cables. 179 euros for the whole weekend.



thoughts ?


about the mixboard = i'm going to buy a Mackie 804 VLZ 3, that will cover all my needs

or

use my ECHO AUDIOFIRE soundcard built in mixer (rock solid) + a LA AUDIO EQX2 equalizer that i own, as i feel i'll have to EQ the speakers

[DannyL]

IMHO the Martin system will sound better than the JBLs. And the Martin system does include a sub.

(I also think that sub woofers are the most overused piece of equipment in sound, but that is another topic for another post )

Anyway, the Mackie is probably better for your needs. Easier for general use.. especially for your guests when they want to play DJ.

And you REALLY should get a sound man. Why spoil a perfectly good wedding trying to run a sound system?....
if you don't believe me ask your bride....
I am 100% sure that she would prefer to have you paying attention to her rather than some "damn sound system"
Might as well get your marriage off on the right foot.

By the way, congratulations.

Danny

[taa4j6]

thanks !

i think i'm going to ask my sound engineer mate (who will be the first man as well) to be the "sound guy". everything will be setup before the wedding, so there won't be a lot of work, but it's true i'll be more relaxed if someone else handles it.

i'll do a listening comparison of the JBL vs MARTIN next week.

cheers

[fifthcircle]

I'd definitely suggest Martin over JBL as well... The EONs aren't horrible but I don't think it will ultimately compare to the Martin stuff.

Definitely get a mixer. It will make life easier when it comes to distribution and control of sound. You may not completely need it, but if it makes life easier, I'd make sure to have it.

And I'll say it again, a wedding may be pretty simple sound, but you owe the day to your better half. Let somebody else worry about the sound.

--Ben

[AlexK]

I'd strongly suggest the Martin Audio system over the other options. The JBLs are okay - better than your Mackies and Bose 802, but they're still not great. The F12s are actually really good little boxes and the subs are great too...

Not wanting to go off-topic, but the Bose 802 sure as hell is one awful speaker IMO. Saps up amplifier power like no other PA speaker I've used (93dBish sensitivity?! are they having a laugh), requires a whacking great EQ curve, and sounds completely different from every angle you listen from...

[hbphotoav]

Originally Posted by AlexK

...
Not wanting to go off-topic, but the Bose 802 sure as hell is one awful speaker IMO. Saps up amplifier power like no other PA speaker I've used (93dBish sensitivity?! are they having a laugh), requires a whacking great EQ curve, and sounds completely different from every angle you listen from...

Yeah... it's hard to make eight four inch drivers do the work of a 12 or a 15 and a nicely loaded compression driver through a well-designed horn... Kinda like expecting the trumpet player to play the Sousaphone part, and the baritone player work the piccolo bits...

[AlexK]

Absolutely, although it's also worth bearing in mind that there are good reasons to avoid a speaker with a 15" driver reproducing midband to do with directivity and off-axis response. A 15" cannot cross-over smoothly into a small compression driver without some really strange things happening to anybody who's not sat directly in front of the speaker.

I would MUCH more rather use an 8" speaker and a 12" sub than a single speaker with a 15" driver.

[delasoul]

i recommend EAW's, its what the professional live audio dudes use. EAW Professional Audio - Loudspeaker, Amplifier, Commercial, Digital, and Smaart

[Thomas W. Bethe]

Originally Posted by AlexK

I'd strongly suggest the Martin Audio system over the other options. The JBLs are okay - better than your Mackies and Bose 802, but they're still not great. The F12s are actually really good little boxes and the subs are great too...

Not wanting to go off-topic, but the Bose 802 sure as hell is one awful speaker IMO. Saps up amplifier power like no other PA speaker I've used (93dBish sensitivity?! are they having a laugh), requires a whacking great EQ curve, and sounds completely different from every angle you listen from...

We used the 802s for flown center fill in a disco/stage type setup and they worked GREAT. We rolled off everything below 100 Hz that was fed to them. No problems and the club's owner kept saying how we had such a nice sound from the stage. These were the original 802's and not the current ones if that makes any difference. Most BOSE stuff is still 'No highs no lows must be Bose" and I would not touch their way over priced consumer gear if you paid me to take it. Different strokes for different folks.

[bexarametric]

Too bad the self-powered QSC K12's weren't available. Those work well. They're one of the only smaller format speakers that sound "large" that I've ever heard.

[Enginearing]

Originally Posted by delasoul

i recommend EAW's, its what the professional live audio dudes use.

In the 90's anyway.


OP - good luck with your wedding. It sounds like your approach will be sure to incite frivolities. I think the extra money for the martins will be well worth it.

[hbphotoav]

So... I'm working this gig (photos) at WallyWorld in Orlando this week, and the student nurses I'm photographing (annual conference) have an opening night party, with a DJ. I walk into the room, and the place is jumpin'... some hiphop, some pop, some rock ("You Shook Me All Night Long" in the karaoke set)... not "fab" sound, but more than enough to keep about 300 20-somethings movin' and groovin' in a cavernous portion of exhibit hall.

What were they using...? A pair of JBL EON 15s. One. Pair. No sub. Not fabulous, "best sound ever"... but more than adequate for the gig.

And my head didn't hurt when I left to upload photos 45 minutes later.

Not d&b, Meyer or Martin... but it worked.

YMMV.

HB